Promise Rings
by Ashi Ruby
Summary: Those will be wedding rings one day, but these will be promise rings.' Sakura receives a special present and realizes what her parents' rings will be used to for. Sequel to In Sickness and in Health. SasuSaku with a little bit of NaruHina.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Author's Note: I decided I would write a short one-shot sequel to my story In Sickness and in Health because I recently looked back on it and noticed a few things left incomplete. So here it is!

Promise Rings

Ino's ears perked up to the sound of the bell ringing over the door and her eyes caught the bob of pink coming in. "Hey Sakura! Here to get flowers for your parents?" the blonde asked as said girl approached the counter. Sakura only smiled as she nodded, then looked over at a few displays of bouquets. "I want to get a small one to place in the house. Sasuke-kun has no real interest in color or the sense to lighten things up in there. So I'm going to do it myself," she said with a laugh echoing her words.

"Got it. Well, I have a bouquet of roses for your parents right here, and just pick out one for yourself," Ino said as she gathered up the roses in her arms. Sakura looked around for a moment before picking out one of daffodils and carnations. "And he best not complain about these; he has to remember I live there too," she said, once again laughing.

Ino just smiled as she rung the flowers up, then her eyes caught the glimmer of something shining in the store's light. Hanging around Sakura's neck was two rings, which she assumed was the girl left behind by her parents. The blonde knew about her father's wish for those rings, and her smile dimmed to one of sadness.

"Hey Sakura?"

"Huh? What is it?"

"Those rings...are they ever going to have a use other than being an accessory around your neck?"

Sakura looked at her for a moment, but then looked away with a gentle hand wrapping around the rings. "They will...but right now, no. I know it's been three months since everything happened, but for now...they will stay with me until I'm ready to let their spirits go," she said softly, a smile gracing her lips again as she looked up and grabbed the bouquets from Ino's hands.

Ino chuckled slightly, patting lightly on Sakura's hand, "Give your parents my regards." Sakura nodded as she left the shop, flowers in hands and feet taking her to the graveyard.

* * *

"Geez...where do you get all...that energy, dobe?"

"Shut...up, teme..."

Hinata sighed as she watched the two boys collapse on the floor, tired from a long bout of training. "Um...I think that's enough for the day. I don't think you two want to go to the hospital like last time," she said. Sasuke growled and Naruto let out a shudder; he didn't want to go to the hospital when Sakura wasn't there. The last time they ended up there after training, Sakura was off and another doctor was in charge, one that was very...violent and uncaring...in her treatments to say the least. "Yeah...I think we'll end it here teme," the blonde said, standing up despite his aching legs.

"Hn. Whatever."

He stood up and brushed some dirt off of his clothes. "Hey teme, do you and Sakura-chan want to join us for dinner? We're not having ramen!" Naruto said. Sasuke shook his head, "No thanks. I already have plans for our dinner tonight." The blonde only shrugged his shoulders then took Hinata's hand in his. "Okay then. Bye teme! Say hi to Sakura-chan!"

"Good bye Sasuke-san."

"Hn. Good-bye."

As they each turned their separate ways, Sasuke smirked.

* * *

"I'm home," Sakura said, taking off her sandals and placing them by the door, being careful of the flowers in her hand. She let out a soft sigh as she walked into the kitchen to find a vase, succeeding in finding one at the bottom of the pantry closet. 'Why a vase is in a closet meant for food I have no idea,' she thought, shrugging off her thoughts as she filled it up with water. Unwrapping the flowers from the wrapping, she snipped the end of the stems off and placed them into the vase, her hands moving to spread and flutter out the stuck-together flowers. "There! And now the living room can have a little color," she said proudly, taking them to said room and placing them on a table next to the couch. Smiling at the bouquet, she sat down on the couch and laid back, resting her eyes for a well-needed rest.

Shortly after she fell into a sound sleep, Sasuke came in, his hand holding a bag full of groceries. Taking off his sandals, he made a quick inspection of the house for her, only to smirk at her sleeping figure on the couch. _'She's a sound sleeper, so I doubt she'll wake up while I work on the surprise,'_ he thought, making quick way to the kitchen.

Sakura stirred, swearing to herself that she could smell something cooking. She opened her eyes slightly, her ears now hearing the sounds of cooking from the kitchen. _'Hmm? Sasuke-kun's making dinner tonight? That's different, since he always makes me do it,'_ she thought, getting off of the couch and walking to the kitchen. She peeked out from the corner and inwardly tried to suppress her giggles.

Sasuke was currently wearing her violet, floral apron, a knife in his hand to cut the variety of vegetables that were on the large cutting board. In a frying pan, chunks of chicken were being carefully stirred in a thick sauce of some sort. She once again tried to suppress a giggle.

Sasuke could only smirk when he felt his girlfriend's presence behind the wall. "Hey Sakura...now that you're up, you can set the table," he said, chuckling when he heard her "dang it" as she was caught. "You forgot to conceal your chakra, you know," he said, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

"I didn't think I even had that much to conceal. I'm still pretty tired from my double shift yesterday. Heck, I was dragging my feet slightly getting home after visiting my parents," she said, grabbing the plates from the cabinet. "Again?" he asked, "You visited them a couple of days ago as well."

Sakura smiled, grabbing silverware from the drawer, "Two special reasons. A couple of days ago it was Mother's birthday, and today was their anniversary." Sasuke nodded in understanding as he turned off the flame under the pan. "Well, time to eat. Hopefully you like this. You already know I'm not good at cooking, so..." he trailed off as he brought the food to the small table. Sakura only smiled, "Thank you Sasuke-kun." Sasuke just smirked as he watched her fold her hands to make a silent prayer before grabbing the bowl of rice.

* * *

"That was really good, Sasuke-kun!"

"Well, I have been watching the best."

"I'm not the best, trust me."

"Better than my mother's cooking."

"Gee thanks," Sakura said, smiling as she stuck out her tongue at him before finding her spot against him. He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her and leaned back on the couch, relaxing as the living room was enveloped in the dim light of the fireplace.

Even in the dim light, he saw something glimmer and fall from Sakura's neck. 'The promise rings? She wears them around her neck now? I thought she said that she would keep them hidden in her room until she felt the time was right,' he thought, his hand leaving hers to envelope the rings.

"Hmm?"

"You're wearing them."

"In honor of my parents."

She removed the chain from around her neck, taking the rings away from Sasuke and holding them above her. "Mother and Father never gave each other wedding rings. They wouldn't allow it, and no arguments from family members could convince them otherwise," she said, remembering the story told to her so many times, "Instead, on that day they switched rings. Father then wore the one with the pink jewel while Mother wore the blue jewel. That was their way of sealing the marriage."

Sakura sniffled for a moment, "I wish though...that they were buried with their rings instead of leaving them with me. They should be in their ashes, not in my hands." Sasuke watched as a few tears fell down her cheeks as she stared up at the two silver rings in her hands, a gentle smile playing her lips. "But...I'll honor their wishes and keep them for the right time, whenever that may be," she said, taking the chain and going to snap it around her neck again.

"Those will be wedding rings one day, like how they were for your parents."

She leaned up to look at him, a puzzled expression on her face, "Wedding rings?" He nodded, sitting up and fumbled to get something out of his pocket. "They were both promise and wedding rings. But I think they should just be for a wedding, the "right time" as you put it," he said, opening a small black box, "But these will be promise rings." Sakura gasped slightly as he slipped one of the silver rings onto her left ring finger, her eyes instantly taking notice of the Uchiha symbol outlined in white and pink jewels.

"Hinata helped me with picking out the base while I requested the design," he said, handing her his ring to place on his finger. She smiled as she noted the red and white jewels of the clan's fan on his before slipping it on. She looked up at him, emerald meeting onyx, her lips meeting his.

"I love you, Sasuke-kun."

"I love you too, Sakura."

* * *

Outside of the house, a couple was watching through a purposely open window, both of them smiling. "So cute," the male replied while his girlfriend only nodded.

"We should be going, Naruto-kun."

"Yeah. Let's get going Hinata-chan."

They each smiled as their hands joined, a pair of similar rings on their fingers.


End file.
